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One Pieceis currently in the Elbaf arc, and while all the attention is currently on the country of the Giants, there are other interesting things going on in the world as well. As fans know, Oda has established an exciting part of the story through his cover stories. Usually, anime watchers aren’t aware of these cover stories since only a handful of them have been adapted to date, which is a shame.
But, readers of the manga know that once a cover story begins, it adds a ton of depth to the characters involved despite the main story not being there. Currently,One Pieceis adapting the cover story of Yamato, the Oni Child, and it seems that is now setting up the premisefor Yamato to do something majorin the future and aid Luffy in their own way. Yamato might actually go on to get a pirate crew, or at least loyal vassals soon, based on how the cover story goes, and that truly is exciting, to say the least.
The Yamato Cover Story
Yamato features in the 26th cover story ofOne Piece, and this is clearly a sign from Oda that Yamato is always going to be a very important character. Since Kaido is no longer a deterrent for Wano against outside forces, Yamato must be just that, and small steps are being taken to ensure that that’s what happens right now. The cover story itself is titled “Oni Child Yamato’s Golden Harvest Surrogate Pilgrimage,” and it sees the Oni Child travel all across Wano, just as Oden once did. Oden did this after being disowned around the time of his 18th birthday, and he then went on to accomplish greatness, forging what later came to be known as the Nine Red Scabbards and maturing himself as well. For Yamato, the journey is to explore Wano, but also to deliver the sword of Shimotsuki Yasuei to the Enma Shrine in Hakumai, which is where he ruled. Yamato embarked upon this journey with a ton of positivity, and it all seemed rather easy at first. Yamato even shared some moments with Momonosuke, and even Nekomamushi later down the line.
Show it to me, Roger! The vision you have for the world! — Oden
Fans couldsee Yamato travel from region to region, starting with Kibi, where, funnily enough, Yamato was pelted with stones due to being Kaido’s child. However, Denjiro, the new Daimyo of Kibi, saw to it that the children were punished and made to fix their mistake by eating Oden with Yamato.
In Kuri, things get a lot more interesting in Wano. It is here that some disappearances are reported, such as missing women, and even Minatomo, the genius carpenter under whom Franky worked in the Wano arc. Visiting Amigasa Village, Yamato loses Yasuei’s sword, as someone steals it, and chasing the thief leads them to Udon, where Yamato finds out that Holdem is active still. He tries to kidnap Tama, who responds by beating him. Holdem is then forced by Yamato to explain things and, eventually, a new hideout is discovered. This hideout is revealed to be of Who’s Who, the former Tobi Roppo of the Beast Pirates, and also one of Kaido’s strongest men.
It is revealed that the one who stole Yasuei’s sword was none other than Who’s Who, and at the same time, he was preparing for the execution of Ulti and Page One. Seeing Who’s Who cause a ruckus, Yamato decided to step in with a powerful Thunder Bagua and knocked him out.
How Yamato Will Establish Vassals Of Their Own
Yamato Will Make The Tobi Roppo Follow Them
It is clear that Oda is trying to parallelYamato’s journey across Wanowith that of Oden. As fans might remember, when Oden traveled across Wano, he came across many strange individuals, starting with Denjiro and Kinemon, who followed him right from the get-go. Then, on the way, they came across all kinds of weird people, such as Raizo, and Kanjuro, and even found orphans like Kiku and Izo, as well as those being ostracized, like Inuarashi and Nekomamushi. Finally, in Kuri, Oden fought and defeated the mountain bandit Ashura Doji, which led to him joining Oden’s forces and the completion of the Nine Red Scabbards.
I want to be like Oden! Oden journeyed across the whole of Wano before he left, right? — Yamato
Here, Oda will likely do something similar with the Beast Pirates. Yamato, with immense charisma and tremendous powers, and above all, being a conqueror themself, will most definitely come to beat some ruffians and take them under their wing. For instance, Yamato has already saved Ulti and Page One, and this could earn Yamato the loyalty of these two figures. Meanwhile, Who’s Who could be forced to join Yamato on his journey as well. Then, the team could come across the likes of Sasaki, who was once a part of the Tobi Roppo as well, and take him down or get him to join somehow. Similarly, Black Maria will likely join as well, making for another addition to Yamato’s forces. It is unknown what will happen to Drake or if he will feature in this cover story at all. Drake was left in a near-death state, and he hasn’t contacted the people of Marines since. There are two ways Oda can handle Drake. Either he stays with Wanoand joins Yamato, or he’d have already left the country, intending to join up with the Marines.
This will give Yamato their own little group of Scabbards, just as Oden once had. But, the journey may not be over just yet. There are also others who live in Wano and have immense powers, and these are the former All-Stars of the Beast Pirates. Jack, King, and Queen are all very powerful, and even though they were villains who fought against Wano once, Yamato could bring them to justice by defeating them. It is also possible that they will decide to follow Yamato from that day onwards, especially since Yamato is Kaido’s own child.
Will Yamato Start A Pirate Crew?
Yamato Could Eventually Set Sail
It is incredibly important for Yamato to have a big fighting force ready. For one, this parallels what Oda did with Oden, and now, Yamato will do the same thing on their own. But, more than that, Wano needs a fighting force. Fans already saw how Greenbull treated the Scabbards when he invaded and without Yamato, they would most certainly have died. Yamato staying behind was important. But, even with Yamato, the forces to defend the country might not be enough, especially if someone like Blackbeard comes along.
As for why that would happen, the answer lies in Ancient Weapon Pluton. Blackbeard has been informed about Pluton by Caribou, which could see him set his eyes on Wano. Wano need not just the Scabbards, but every powerful fighter they can get, which is where Yamato and their Nine Vassals come into play. With the six Tobi Roppo and 3 All-Stars, Yamato will have their own group, and once the Final War begins, they could set out as a pirate crew to allyLuffy and the Straw Hats.
One Piece is available to read via Viz Media. The series can be read by the fans officially and for free on the Shonen Jump and theManga Plusapps. The release date for the next chapter of One Piece, One Piece 1143, is set to be June 04, 2025.
